


something there that wasn't there before

by lightinthedarkness



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fairy Tale Curses, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightinthedarkness/pseuds/lightinthedarkness
Summary: All Eizen wants is for his ill sister to recover, to get out of this dreadful hospital she's called home for years now. His search leads him to the Crowe estate, where secrets lie and the possibilities are endless.Written for Eivel Week 2020 Day 3: Curse
Relationships: Velvet Crowe/Eizen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12
Collections: Eivel Week 2020 Collection





	something there that wasn't there before

The hospital was never a favorite of Eizen’s.

Between the eerie creak of the wooden floors and the stench of...he honestly didn’t want to think about what it could be, he longed to turn and run from the building.

But the urge would vanish the moment he stepped into the room at the end of the hall, his sister Edna’s room. Dread would give way to joy at her sunny hair and sparkling eyes, similar to his own. 

She turned to him as he entered the room. “Eizen!” she tried to lift herself up to greet him, only to wince and cough.

Eizen rushed to his sister’s side. “Don’t push yourself,” he whispered to her, one hand on her back and the other to her forehead, “Has your fever gone up?”

“Only a bit…” she mumbled, leaning into his touch, “I’ve been feeling better otherwise…”

He sighed, his hand carding through her thinning golden locks. They were only getting worse by the day... “I’ll get a nurse, see if she can give you a wet cloth.” With a kiss to her forehead he rose to his feet and left the room. 

Eizen was only out for a moment before he heard voices, hushed whispers in one of the empty rooms. He pressed himself against a nearby wall, straining his ears to hear.

“Another one passed today, correct?” one asked. It sounded similar to one of the doctors Eizen had talked with on occasion.

“Correct.” another answered with a sigh, “We had hoped, prayed, since his 12th birthday had been over a month ago…but no, his symptoms only worsened until...”

Eizen’s heart thumped in his chest, his fingers tightening over the brim of his hat.

One of the voices sighed. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve started indulging in rumors,” they said with a bitter laugh, “Including the Crowe estate.”

“The one up north?” 

This perked Eizen’s interest, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“They say a brilliant alchemist lived there, one who was even working on a cure for the twelve-year sickness.”

“But didn't the family vanish? Servants and all?” 

“Supposedly, though you get the occasional tale of something stalking the forest surrounding the estate, a ferocious creature unlike anything ever seen...if such a thing lives there, mayhaps the alchemist does as well?” A moment passed, and another, before hollowed laughter filled the room, “As if such a thing were possible.”

Eizen quickly left his hiding place, the voices echoing in his mind as he placed his hat over his head.

He knew what he had to do.

~~~

It was almost too easy, telling the nurses he wanted to give Edna some fresh air, and before they knew it she was behind him on his horse, grip tight around his coat and around the blanket he took for her. 

“Eizen, where are we going?” she asked. Her voice was soft against the roaring wind of the oncoming snowstorm.

He took a moment, articulating the words against his tongue. “I heard of someone who might make you feel better,” it wasn’t a lie, so why did he feel awful saying it? “We’re just going to pay them a visit.”

She was silent for a moment, her sign that she didn’t quite believe him, “Who is this person?”

“Crowe.” came the simple reply.

“Who would be named after a bird?” she pouted, “That’s stupid.”

He laughed, sick or healthy his sister could destroy someone if given the opportunity, “Maybe…” 

They can be called whatever they want...so long as they can heal you.

The siblings were quiet after that, with only the occasional noises from the horse interrupting the silence. As they traveled, the snowfall turned from a gentle rain into a wild downpour of snow and hail.

Despite that, Eizen attempted to navigate his horse through the storm, paying careful attention to any potential obstacles within the forest.

He was not careful enough, as the horse let out a loud neigh and collided with something. Though startled and though his vision was hindered, Eizen could still make out the dull steel of bars. He strained his eyes against the harsh weather, and the building’s outline finally came into view. 

A cough cut through the wind, and Eizen turned to see Edna covering her mouth, holding the blanket tighter around her frame, “Are we there yet?” she tried to keep her voice firm, but another cough and shiver shattered the attempt.

Eizen cast aside his suspicion and curiosity for the moment, they needed shelter...at least until the storm had subsided. He looked again towards the gate, noting how it was rusted and partially open, and quickly tied the horse to one of the rails and pulled Edna into his arms.

The gate creaked as he pushed it open. Trudging through the snow, the siblings reached the front door. Eizen was once again surprised at how easily the door opened under his touch, creaking open to reveal a dusty, untouched hallway. Were it not for the candles lit along the walls, he would have thought it was abandoned.

He could only hear the sounds of his shoes against the floor, his sister’s coughing, and his own breathing. The hallway gave way to a grand foyer that still held the eerie, empty feeling of the hallway, despite the numerous rooms and the staircase in the middle.

“Hello?” Eizen called out into the darkness, “Is anyone here?” he asked, “We just need to wait out the storm!” He looked around the rooms, trying to get a glance amongst the dim candlelight.

He finally found what looked to be a bedroom and carefully creaked the door open. Dust and cobwebs covered the room and bed, but it was better than nothing. Eizen carefully brushed away the layers of dust before gently placing the now sleeping Edna on top of the covers. “I’m going to see if I can find someone, just rest until I get back.” he whispered before leaving the room. 

Eizen made his way back into the grand foyer and grabbed one of the lit candles, “Is the Lord of this estate here?” he asked with a booming voice and took a tentative step up the stairs. He continued up the stairs until he reached the top, the shadows and distant creaks his only company.

“There is no Lord Crowe,” a deep, feminine voice made Eizen flinch and he turned to face it, only to find emptiness, “What business do you have?” the voice asked.

Eizen kept looking around, trying to find the other person, “I...I had heard that there was an alchemist that lived here…” he explained, trying to keep his voice even, “My sister’s ill, and…”

“Silence!” the voice boomed. He wanted to shiver, but he steeled his body and maintained a stoic expression. He knew why he was here, and he wouldn’t let anything deter him.

“My sister is ill,” he repeated, “I need medicine.” Despite keeping a physical composure, his voice still shook slightly.

“You’re not terribly polite, are you?” the voice was right behind him, dark and sombering.

“Says the hostess who won’t even show her face—”

“Why should I show my face to trespassers?” she asked. There was a deathly playful tone to her question, one that made Eizen more terrified, “You even have the nerve to take up one of my guest rooms—”

He turned to face his host, fear quickly replaced with anger, “My nerve is out of desperation!”

Any more words died on Eizen’s tongue as he finally saw who was taunting him. The woman looked a few years younger than him, her pale skin a perfect match for the raging snow outside, but a contrast for the raging fire in her golden eyes.

She scoffed, her blank face morphing into a sneer, “You’d do well to watch your tone with me,” she snarled.

In that moment, in a flicker of the light, Eizen was barely able to make out something that sent chills through his soul. His typical stone-like expression cracked as the realization washed over him. 

“Fa...fangs?” He had not meant to say it aloud, but there it was for both him and his host to hear.

She waved her hand as if to deflect the question, and all Eizen could feel was a heaviness in his body. He could barely keep his eyes open as his hand went limp, and he dropped the candle. Despite the blurriness he could still see the woman grab it before it fell to the ground.

“It might be best to let you sleep on your words,” was the last thing Eizen heard before darkness took over.

~~~

The intruder fell to the ground with a thud and encased the estate in silence once more. Velvet eyed the candle in her hand before placing it on a nearby table.

“What a curiosity~” the new voice practically sang in the darkness, “For shame on you Eleanor, letting this intruder in~”

“I...I know,” another feminine voice answered the first, “If anyone is to blame, it should be—”

“I’m not blaming you Eleanor,” Velvet interrupted without looking back, “You can only do so much when you’re not oiled…” she glanced aside to a shadow in the hallway.

“Hey, it was Magilou’s turn this time!” a masculine voice pitched in before changing the subject, “It’s odd though, he wasn’t armed…”

“Dyle, take his horse to the stables,” Velvet ordered.

“Lady Crowe,” a third feminine voice caused Velvet to turn around. Though shrouded in darkness, the new woman held a small child. “I found her in one of the guest rooms.” 

“Is she alive?”

A nod, “Yes, though she’s unconscious and burning up.”

An idea formed in Velvet’s head, one of several that she mused on before, “Take her to Phi...set up two rooms for the both of them, and when you get back Dyle, take him there.”

“Daww, have these unfortunate siblings hit a soft spot in our terrifying Lady Crowe?” the sing-song voice teased from the darkness.

Velvet could only scoff, “They’re unarmed and pose no threat for now...but we’ll keep an eye on them. Speaking of...Magilou, I want you to get the rooms ready instead.”

She took delight in the yelp that followed, “How cruel! These rooms haven’t been used in—”

“No whining. You have your orders, now leave.”

“Yes ma'am.” And like that, Velvet was alone again save for the unconscious intruder.

She looked at the body once more. “Hm, such a fool.” she whispered before her own form disappeared into the darkness.


End file.
